Home Page → Engines → Fowler → Showmans Road Locomotive → 13922 → History
Girlie was originally built as a road locomotive and supplied to Eliza Loader & Sons Sherbourne St Johns, Hampshire, on the 28th November 1913 as a 7NHP Road Loco named "King Of them All".
In the early 1920's she was sold to Charles Openshaw Amusement Caterers of Reading and was converted to Full Showman's Specification including a Savage Crane. She was then sold to John W Hoadley of Wallsend On Tyne, Newcastle, who used the engine with his travelling ark. He then named it "Girlie".
In 1937 Girlie was bought by William Slater, Amusement caterers, of Carlisle and she was renamed "Rocket". The picture above was in Slaters ownership at Newcastle Town moor fair and the crane has been removed. She spent the remainder of her working life with Slaters up until the 1950's.
In 1955 the engine was purchased by Jack Wakefield of Hetton-le-Hole who recovered the engine from a scrapyard. Sometime in the late 1980's it was sold to John Bainbridge of Birtley and then onto John Machin in 1997. At the Cheffins auction in 2003 she was bought by Dave Marris who carried out further restoration of the Engine.
It was then bought by the present owner Allan Marchington in 2006, the engine is currently having a new box, backhead and barrel as well as other work. Surprisingly she was still on the original box!
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